Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson’s contract with the team has been renegotiated, with Wilson now motivated to have a big year and cash in when the free-agency period arrives.
The Dolphins and WR Albert Wilson have agreed to a renegotiated deal for 2020 worth base value of $3M, with $1M more via incentives. Wilson gets the chance to produce in a system he knows then hit the market as a free agent next offseason.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 5, 2020
Wilson faced the prospect of being released had he not accepted the new terms.
The revamped contract is now set to save the Dolphins close to $7 million in salary-cap space. Originally, Wilson’s 2020 base salary was scheduled to be $9.5 million.
The motivation of a potential big payday next year offers Wilson the opportunity to make the most of his new situation after continuing to be hampered by a hip injury in 2019.
That injury was suffered during Wilson’s first year with the Dolphins in 2018, after he had spent the previous four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 27-year-old Wilson was limited to seven games and had 26 receptions during that 2018 campaign. He came back to grab 43 passes last season, but saw his yards-per-catch average drop nearly in half, from 15.0 yards per reception to 8.2.
The hope for the Dolphins this season is that Wilson will be able to form a potent tandem with DeVante Parker.
Last season, Parker delivered a breakout campaign with 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns.
Wilson’s production in 2020 may help determine if he ends up being on the receiving end of passes from the Dolphins’ top pick, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Right now, the likelihood of Tagovailoa spending the year on the sidelines seems strong. Whether he and Wilson ever become a passing combination remains to be seen.